The highs and lows of my family's year in Florence. Enrolling the kids in Italain school, cooking the local produce, butchering the local language and lots of pictures of food, glorious food!!!

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Food from Rome

I could not end the notes on Rome without taking a little extra time to talk about a couple of places we loved to eat at…..that wouldn’t be right.

We must of walked past this small trattoria on our street at least 4 times a day and every morning you couldn’t help notice the menu changing daily, or perhaps it was their ‘specials’ menu? Whichever one it was, it was the only restaurant that did this AND one of the only ones that didn’t have a display of its wares out front, searing and wilting in the intense summer heat; for us this was a big incentive to wander in.

We had just had a big morning of walking through the ruins and needed a delicious meal to recoup our energy.

The trattoria wasn’t jumping with customers, yet the servers were warm, friendly and attentive in a relaxing mannor. Two very large beers and iced teas where ordered before anything else- but of course!

We all decided on pasta dishes for lunch, however, as delicious as they were I did not take photos as they didn’t look impressive and staged on a plate, they were simply perfect pastas with delicious pesto. What did look impressive to me however where the marinated vegetables we passed on our way through the restaurant and when I saw vegetable antipasti on the ‘specials’ menu I knew we just had to try it.

The flavours jumped off the plate and Nic and I didn’t hold back. I won’t lie to you and say the boys dug in as well, that would be too much of a stretch! While Nic and I polished the marinated eggplant, zucchini and spinach off they picked over the potatoes and olives- Happy Days.

I am saving the best to last however. Nic, Alex and I fought spoons over this tiramisu because it was TO DIE FOR!!! And we were all relishing in the fact that Max hates cream (don’t feel sorry for him, you know he got some gelato later on!)

Our second favourite lunch spot was this baguetteria that we happened to stumble across in the back streets one morning while we were searching for our morning coffee. (This is a beautiful time; the streets were quiet, the air was fresh and cool and the kids stayed home playing while we popped out for ten minutes of peace. I recommend this to all parent travelling with kids!)

It has a wall of 150 beers from around the globe and a glass deli counter with every filling you could possible want when it comes to paring vegetables with deli meats and cheeses

Once we drooled over this selection we then chose our preferred meat, followed by the cheese selection and then of course the terrible decision of what beer to choose?

What’s that I hear? A hard life? I know, but I’m happy to put myself out there every once and a while…

We ate inside with a German (or they could have been Danish?) couple while a group of teenagers chilled out on the outside seating. I just love places like this, they are the reason I love travelling and getting lost in the streets of towns I barely know….I just hope word doesn’t get out too much otherwise it might be standing room only.

Camilla that was so interesting! You really get a sense of the real Rome – not the touristy version. I love getting lost in Italian cities – so many hidden treasures! Hope you keep having wonderful food & cultural journeys in Toscana. Take care, Gilly